


After the End

by MamoruSanSan



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Afterlife, Gen, Male-Female Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-12
Updated: 2015-10-12
Packaged: 2018-04-26 02:22:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4986415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MamoruSanSan/pseuds/MamoruSanSan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus Snape finds himself in a paradise, after his death. When he comes to, he is greeted by the last person he ever thought he would see again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I originally posted this fic on Fanfiction.net. I decided that I needed to edit it anyway, since my writing style has changed, so I moved it over here after revamping it slightly. There's only two chapters, a Prologue and an Epilogue. Enjoy!

Severus Snape opened his eyes, stirring from what felt like a long nap. He looked straight up into the blue sky, watching the clouds float by peacefully. What a nice scenery it was. It almost made dying worth it.

Wait, was he dead? Last thing he could remember was-  _Nothing_. He racked his brains, trying to think of the reason he was laying here. Everything seemed to be a blur from before he woke up here. But he hadn’t been anywhere beautiful like this, right?  _No_ , he tried to recall,  _it was dark._

Yes. He had been in a forest, not a field like the one he laid in now. Bits and pieces flashed before him. An order. A snake lunging at him. Feeling hot inside as the venom pumped through his veins. And the last thing he saw was-

_Green_ , he thought.  _My favorite color._

Yes, those huge green eyes belonging to his first friend and only love. Round and warm and-  _No, they weren’t hers,_ he told himself, as his head started to clear up.  _No, it had been his. That Potter boy._

_Green,_ he thought again, as two emerald orbs came into view over his head, floating only a few inches above his. “Thank you, Potter.” Severus found himself muttering, finally remembering his last seconds with the boy. He closed his eyes. Green wad such a beautiful color, so serene.

A giggle.

He opened his eyes again. Those green orbs were still there, except now they were accompanied with the most radiant smile he could ever have imagined.

“Really, Severus, I thought I would be Evans to you forever.”

A female voice. That voice was so familiar. That voice and those eyes, he knew who it was instantly. “Lily?” he croaked. He moved his heavy arm towards her, trying to see if she was real. “Are you real?” Another giggle. 

“Depends on what you think real is.” Her perfect voice resonated in the crisp air. “You’re in Essence.” Lily said, as Severus urged his body to sit up. He felt stiff and sore, as if he had strained every muscle in his body. Soon they were face to face vertically.

“Essence?” he heard himself say, hollowly. Just seeing her in front of him again made his heart beat faster. Oh how he had missed her. Ever since he had been a fool of a child and pushed her away.

“When witches and wizards die, their souls are weighed, and some are sent to Essence. No one I have run into knows what the criteria is for coming here.” she explained. Severus felt a rush of questions spring to mind: Did he deserve to be here? He had done so many bad things, including being one of the causes of his best friend’s death. As if guessing his questions Lily continued. “There are those who have made mistakes their whole life, but one event of redeeming heroism seems to allow them passage to this world. Perhaps you are one of those, Sev.”

Severus stared off guiltily at her words. Oh, yes, he had made many mistakes, fallen into the wrong crowd, ruined the only good thing in his life. He had tried so hard to make up for his idiocy, but he had felt that it had all been in vain. She had died. Dumbledore had died. Voldemort had won. He didn’t deserve to have peace in his afterlife. Glancing at Lily again, he saw her eyes watery with tears. He placed a stiff hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and gave him a small smile. 

“I am glad you made it here, though, Sev.” She said, leaning forward onto him to grasp him into a hug. Awkwardly, Severus returned the hug, unbidden tears coming to his eyes as well.

“I’m sorry.” he muttered. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” he said finding himself clutching her harder and harder. “It’s my fault. It was all my fault.” The two clutched and let their tears flow, embracing for the first time since their childhood. When they had both calmed themselves, Lily stood up and held out a hand. Severus grabbed hold and stumbled up, his legs still feeling achy.

“I made up a nice and cozy little room for you in our home.” she said, leading him towards a path he hadn’t noticed before. “It’s a nice place for you to stay, if you want to. I can understand if you don’t wish to. But I know James wishes to apologize. And I’ve forgiven you many years ago. You will be welcome in our house for as long as you wish.”

Severus quietly contemplated the situation. Revulsion still stirred in him at even the slightest mention of  _his_  name. All those years of being bullied and tortured by the Potter boy, all privileged and loved by all, Severus didn’t think he could face him, even if he was civil after death. He looked at the ground instead of at her, not knowing what words to answer her with.

Lily rubbed his arm in support. “I understand if it will be too difficult for you. I am just glad you made it here to us. I was so happy when I got the notice.”

“What notice?” he asked, lifting his gaze. By this point, they had left the field behind and they were reaching the outskirts of a small village.

“When you were set to arrive here, I received a notice to meet you at the Field of Awakening. It seems that when a person is sent to Essence, they are greeted by the one they cared for the most.” she pulled out a small leaflet from her pocket. On it, in glinting flowing script, was his name. “I was so glad when I got this, because it meant I could see my best friend again.” She gave him another wan smile.

“So, who did you meet?” Severus chanced a question. “I mean, you were muggleborn, and…” He let his voice trail off, his mind filling with the last time he had spoken with her when he called her filthy slurs. It took him all he could muster to not release her and run away. He didn’t deserve to be here, didn’t deserve her forgiveness.

“James’ parents greeted us.” Lily said, smiling. “I had only met them once before, at our wedding, but they came to greet James, and since we died at the same time, well… I guess we were a two-for-one package.” She led them to a house on the end of one of the deserted streets in the village. “Come one, Sev. This is us.” He glanced up at the pale yellow building, like the other residences along the street with the color being the only difference. He hadn't realized that he had walked so far into the village. Every block had similar houses, all varying by different colors and decorations. He felt Lily tugging on his arm and he forced his legs to move forward. At their door, she gave him another hug. “It’ll be nice to have another chance with you.” she said. 

Despite what he could face inside this house, he smiled at her. The first real smile he had allowed to cross his face since the years of his childhood when he had first met Lily. Together, they crossed the threshold of her home. Severus steeled himself to be prepared for whatever death threw at him.


	2. Epilogue

It was almost noon, and he was later than he’d have liked. He couldn’t find his overcoat in the mess of his home, and he wanted to look his best. After wasting a half hour of searching, he finally found it under a stack of old parchment he had been perusing the night before. He briskly walked as fast as he could to Lily’s home. Letting himself in, he called out.

“Lily?” he asked. He came across her scrunched onto her couch, surrounded by stacks of books. She smiled at him as he approached her and she put down the book she had been reading.

“Are you ready?” she asked, excitedly. Severus shrugged. He still couldn’t believe that he had received the notice, as there wasn’t anyone he cared about still in the living world. But still, it had come for him, and it felt like such a burden.

“As ready as I could possibly be.” he said, in monotone. “I don’t understand why I was chosen for this one, Lily. You’d think the person he cared about the most was Dumbledore. He shaped his whole future.” He let himself settle down onto the couch beside Lily. She placed her arm on his shoulder.

“Dumbledore never made it here, you know that.” she said, softly. He nodded. The aged wizard had been rejected from Essence, for unknown reasons. They had never come across him in his sixty years here, and neither did anyone else. Severus sighed.

“Still, I can’t imagine that I would be the person they’d want to meet the moment they were dead.” he said. He heard a chuckle from behind him.

“Neither can I.” James Potter’s voice rang out from the doorway. Severus’s mouth twitched at the sight of him. They had forgiven each other sixty years ago, but no matter how long it would be, Severus knew he would always jump at the sight of his old tormentor. James plopped down on the couch next to his wife. “Personally, I am quite offended that he would rather see you.” Lily jabbed him in his stomach.

“James.” she said, giving him a warning smile. She turned back to Severus. “Why wouldn’t he, Sev? Without you, the War wouldn’t have been won. You were important to him.” Severus scoffed. He very much doubted that. He stood up, brushing any creases off his robes.

“I suppose I should be on my way.” he said, running his hand through his hair. He looked at the couple, from Lily to James, and nodded curtly. “I’ll make sure to bring him to you.” he said. Lily smiled, tears springing to her eyes. James placed one arm around his wife and stuck out his other to Severus.

“I never did thank you for all you did after we died. Thanks, mate.” he said. Hesitating only for a moment, Severus took the offering, their eyes locking. A mutual understanding of amicability seemed to course through the two. He heard the chime of the clock on the mantle. It was noon, and now he really would be late. Giving the couple one more nod, he walked out the door, his cloak billowing behind him.

Finally, he had made it close to the outskirts of the village, passing the last of the dwellings. Sitting in front of the final house was an old colleague of his, basking in the wonderful skylight. She nodded at him stiffly, before giving him a small smile.

“And where are we heading today, Severus?” she asked. Her grey hair was in a tight bun and was pulled back, still the same from when she had been alive.

“Just down to the field,” he said, pulling out his leaflet. “I received a notice, you see. “ Interested, she stood up and approached him.

“Oh? Who’s the lucky person?” she asked, a bit of sarcasm in her voice. The animosity that had been built up during the years when Hogwarts was in danger hadn’t completely dissipated, even after the whole story had been explained to her. She couldn’t help but feel some disdain towards him whenever they interacted. Severus didn’t blame her. It was the same for him and James Potter. He handed her the notice. She laughed, looking at the name.

“That’s quite a surprise.” she said, handing it back. Turning around and waving over her shoulder, she made her way back to her chair. “Please give him my regards.

“I shall, Minerva.” Severus said, bowing slightly, before heading on his way. He passed out of the village and started down the dirt path into the field. Soon, he noticed a body laying in the middle of the same field he himself had been laying in sixty years ago.

He made his way up to the body, and raised an eyebrow. Many years had passed in the real world, yes, but he hadn’t expected to see him looking like this, as an old and balding warlock. Severus brought his hand to his mouth to stifle a chuckle. Even the mighty can’t conquer age.

The person on the ground stared up into the sky through rounded glasses, his body stiff and achy as Severus' had been when he had first arrived. The old wizard’s eyes wandered from cloud to cloud, the green clashing with the blue. His waistline was bulging a little, and what hair he had left was as grey as a wolf’s.

Severus came up beside him and leaned over, letting his eyes catch those of the one on the ground. He saw those green eyes, the last thing he had seen when he was living, widen at his appearance. A smirk drew itself across his face, as he held out a hand to help the old man up.

“Hello, Mr. Potter. We meet again at last.”


End file.
